Definition

An After-Death Communication, or ADC, is a spiritual experience that
occurs when someone is contacted directly and spontaneously by a family
member or friend who has died. An ADC is a direct experience
because no psychics, mediums, therapists, rituals, or devices are
involved. And an ADC is a spontaneous event because our deceased
loved ones always choose when, where, and how they will contact us.

Research History

During their seven years of research, the authors interviewed 2,000
people, who were living in all 50 American states and the 10 Canadian
provinces. They collected more than 3,300 firsthand accounts from
people who believe they have been contacted by a deceased relative or
friend. The subjects range in age from children to the elderly
(from 8 to 92 years old) and represent diverse social, educational,
economic, occupational, and religious backgrounds.

The Guggenheims conservatively estimate at least 60 million Americans
– or 20% of the population of the United States – have had one or more
ADC experiences. And some polls indicate the actual numbers are
double these figures – that more than 125 million Americans, or 43% of
the population, have had an ADC. As a result, after-death
communications appear to be the most common form of spiritual
experiences that people have. Hello From Heaven! contains 353
accounts of ADC experiences, and each one is a complete short story told
in the experiencer’s own words.

Types of ADCs

Based upon the Guggenheims’ research, the following are brief
descriptions of the twelve most frequent types of after-death
communication people report having with their deceased loved ones.
These may occur individually or in combination with other types of ADCs.
They can happen in a home, at work, at a funeral, in a car, aboard a
boat or airplane, in a department store, and virtually anywhere else –
and at any time of the day or night.

Sensing a Presence: Sentient ADCs
This is the most common form of
contact. But many people discount their experiences, thinking,
“Oh, I’m just imagining this.” It’s a distinct feeling that your
loved one is nearby, though he or she can’t be seen or heard.
Though most often felt during the days and weeks immediately after the
death, you may sense or intuit his or her presence months or even years
later – which is true of all other types of ADCs as well.

Hearing a Voice: Auditory ADCs
Some people state they hear
an external, audible voice with their ears, the same as when a living
person is speaking to them. The majority of communications are by
telepathy, however – you hear the voice of your relative or friend in
your mind. When you have two-way communication, it’s usually by
telepathy, which is also called mind-to-mind contact or thought
transference. A large percentage of the messages received are
brief and to the point, like telegrams of 25 words or less. On the
other hand, a few experiencers are able to have entire conversations by
telepathy.

Feeling a Touch: Tactile ADCs
People who have a very close
physical and emotional relationship recognize the distinctive and
familiar touch of their family member or friend. You may feel your
loved one touch you with his or her hand, or place an arm around your
shoulders or back or waist, for comfort and reassurance. You may
feel a tap, a pat, a caress, a stroke, a kiss, or even a hug.
These are all forms of affection, nurturing, and love.

Smelling a Fragrance: Olfactory ADCs
You may smell your
relative’s or friend’s favorite cologne, after shave, or perfume.
Other common aromas are: flowers, bath products, favorite foods,
tobacco smoke, and his or her personal scent. Two or more people
who are together at the same place – and at the same time – may share
this type of ADC experience.

Partial Appearances: Visual ADCs 1
There are a wide variety
of visual appearances, which are divided into two general categories:
partial visual and full visual ADCs. Appearances range from a
“transparent mist” to “absolutely solid,” with many gradations in
between. Partial appearances include seeing only a colored light,
an outline of their body, or just the head and shoulders of your
relative or friend. And he or she may be transparent, translucent,
or almost completely solid. Quite a few visual ADCs occur in the
bedroom, next to or at the foot of the bed.

Full Appearances: Visual ADCs 2
Someone you love may make a
full appearance to you, and you will see his or her entire body, from
head to foot, and that person will look and feel fully solid and
lifelike to you. Typically he or she will be expressing love, well
being, and happiness with a radiant smile. They virtually always
appear healed and whole regardless of their form of death. It’s
quite common to see people who died in their later years return at a
much younger age – often in the prime of their life. Verbal
communication may take place, but not always. They are trying to
assure you they are okay, and you don’t need to be concerned about them.
Visual ADCs provide a great deal of comfort and relief.

A
Glimpse Beyond: ADC Visions You may see an image of a
deceased loved one in a “picture” that is either two-dimensional and
flat, or three-dimensional like a hologram. It’s like seeing a 35
mm slide or a movie suspended in the air. These are usually in
radiant colors and may be seen externally, with your eyes open – or
internally in your mind, while your eyes are closed. You’re seeing
your loved one in heaven, and communication may occur, especially during
meditation or prayer.

Encounters at Alpha: Twilight ADCs
This type of ADC takes
place in the “alpha state” of consciousness, when you are very relaxed –
like when you’re falling asleep, waking up, meditating, or praying.
And when you open your eyes, your deceased love one may be standing
nearby.

More Than A Dream: Sleep-State ADCs
These are much more
vivid, intense, colorful, and real than ordinary dreams. They are
extremely common. Both one-way and two-way communications are
typical. You usually feel your loved one is with you in person and
that you’re having an actual visit together. These may happen in a
familiar place or one that is foreign to you. Sleep-State ADCs are
not jumbled, filled with symbols, or fragmented the way dreams usually
are. There are endless possibilities of what may occur during this
type of contact.

Sleep-State ADCs are similar to other types of after-death communication
that occur while you are wide awake. Your friend or relative can
come to you more easily, however, when you are relaxed, open, and
receptive, like when you are in the alpha state or asleep.

Homeward Bound: Out-Of-Body ADCs
OBE ADCs happen while you
are asleep or in a deep meditative state. They are very dramatic
experiences during which you leave your physical body and visit your
loved one in a place nearby, at another location on Earth or within the
physical universe, or in the spiritual dimension called “heaven.”
The latter contains beautiful flowers, birds, and butterflies; lovely
gardens and stately trees; sparkling water, radiant lighting, and other
magnificent aspects of nature; and it’s filled with love, happiness,
peace, and joy. Out-of-body travel is accomplished at the speed of
thought. Many of these accounts read like near-death experiences,
but those who have them are in good physical health at the time.

Person-to-Person: Telephone ADCs
This type of ADC can occur
during sleep or when you are fully awake. You will hear a phone
ringing, and when you answer it, your deceased loved one will give you a
short message. Two-way conversations are also possible. His
or her voice will usually be clear, but may sound far away. If you
are awake when the call on a physical phone is completed, it will seem
that the line has been severed, for you won’t hear a hang-up sound, a
disconnect click, or a dial tone.

Material Matters: ADCs of Physical Phenomena
Those who are
bereaved often report receiving a wide variety of physical signs from
their deceased relative or friend, such as: lights or lamps
blinking on and off; radios, televisions, stereos, mechanical objects,
and toys being activated; photographs, pictures, and various other items
being turned over or moved; and a very long list of “things that go bump
in the night.” Messages are sometimes left on computers, telephone
answering machines, and other electronic devices.

Butterflies and Rainbows: Symbolic ADCs
People frequently
ask a Higher Power, a religious figure, the universe, or their deceased
loved one for a sign that he or she still exists. Many receive
such a sign, though it may take a while to arrive. Occasionally
these signs are so subtle they may be missed, or they may be discounted
as mere “coincidences.” Common signs include: butterflies,
rainbows, many species of birds and animals, flowers, and finding
numerous kinds of inanimate objects, such as coins, feathers, and
pictures.

ADC Links:

Audio/Visual Links:

For Facts on ADCs

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